How and why did you become a Melbourne supporter?

[Webber 10,454]

I'm a demon mainly because my whole family is. i consider myself the most committed to the dees out of my family. My dad was also a pretty good influence, but now he has grown fed up with them and barracks for the cats now! i would've prefered him go for the bombers, i hate the cats soooo much! (don't know why)

Cos you're scarred by your dad's betrayal of loyalty to the dees??? As kids we like our parents to be reliable and consistent. At the moment I'm sure he's happy though!

[old dee 23,744]

It happened shortly after my lobotomy and i've no idea why

Glad to see you back in action dc

[Webber 10,454]

Re OP

God knows !!!

I'm not sure she does b59!!!

[Deestroy All 14,262]

I ask myself how every day.

Why? Because I don't believe in god, so there probably is one and it hates me.

[Gippsland Dee 367]

Cos you're scarred by your dad's betrayal of loyalty to the dees??? As kids we like our parents to be reliable and consistent. At the moment I'm sure he's happy though!

na i've always had a dislike for them, even before he chose them over melb, but the hatred did increase when he defected!

yeah he sure is happy, but i do think he is joining a sinking ship, even though they continue to be too good for the hawks. their star players are getting past their prime now.

[daisycutter 29,600]

Glad to see you back in action dc

to be honest od i haven't recovered since the tanking fiasco decision

neeld may not have seen it coming but i certainly did, not that i felt any gratification though

i've listened to all the comments and i still don't know why

i used think there must be something in the water at the junction oval but it must be something else....heaven knows what

i can see faults at all levels from players to board but nothing makes sense to explain how it can be this bad

[old dee 23,744]

to be honest od i haven't recovered since the tanking fiasco decision

neeld may not have seen it coming but i certainly did, not that i felt any gratification though

i've listened to all the comments and i still don't know why

i used think there must be something in the water at the junction oval but it must be something else....heaven knows what

i can see faults at all levels from players to board but nothing makes sense to explain how it can be this bad

I feel pretty similar, in fact I think there are thousands of us

[alias275 259]

My Great Aunt (86 years of age) was my fathers only contact when he and my mother moved to Australia from the UK in 1971.

She had been a Melbourne supporter\member at birth due to her father being a die hard supporter of the Melbourne Football Club in the VFA days. So he obviously continued his support in the launch of the VFL (1897) and she was born in 1927.

So once my father (Bristol Rugby Union player) moved to Melbourne from the UK he wanted to continue his fitness and love of sport and his Aunt introduced him to the game of Australian Rules football on only one condition. He supported the MFC and disliked the Collingwood Football Club with the same passion.

So naturally it was passed onto me.

Even though we moved to Perth in 1985 (which I still have pictures of a 6 year old me on the hill at Subiaco in the red and blue) and then to Sydney in 1989, I continued my faith and support for Melbourne, no matter how much I use to cop it in the land of Rugby League.

I would continually defend the game even when labelled "Short Shorts, Aeriel ping pong and Gay FL" at school, but I would just say "not my fault your so dumb you can't understand the game"

Now it's bigger than it ever was in Sydney, with 6 divisions of Sydney AFL and more blokes making the switch every year.

I'm the only Demon supporter at my footy club and I love it. Never get bragging rights, never share any excitement with other team mates when we do win, but I like it. They are my team and always will be.

That's my story.

Edited April 4, 2013 by alias275

[beelzebub 23,313]

The many here will have heard this before.

I arrived on a boat later Dec 1964.

I turn up at scool the following Feb as a young 5yo.

1st question....whats ya name pommy ??

This one i knew from even my limited years on this earth.

2nd question. Who'd ya follow ???

Huh....

You know what footy team ??

Wtf ( or eqivalent for 5yo )

Ummm, thinking as quick as possible . Now the process went along lines of :

We live in Melbourne and im guessing theres a team called Melbourne !!

I have no idea of the teams status; hell i didnt even know what Footy was.

I answer faux confidently

MELBOURNE .

The rest is history . A really crappy one

Edited April 4, 2013 by belzebub59

[Deetective Sgt. Taggert 389]

My grandfather was a powerful figure in my family and he started supporting the Demons on the encouragement of a fellow servicemen in WWII. Which at the time was probably an easy decision!

So I have been a supporter for as long as I can remember but my earliest memories are from 1989, so just missed the excitement of '87.

Something I wonder how things would have been different if my grandfather hadn't have reeled me in before my father, a cat supporter, could indoctrinate me. But then he still had to suffer through multiple grand final losses in the late 80s early 90s before the joy finally came a decade later...and again...and again...

Never once thought of switching sides and never will.

[Waltham33 475]

First 3 games of football I saw were the 87 elimination final, 87 first semi and 87 preliminary final. Enough said

[garyh007 112]

1965 leader of gang in housing commission flats barracked for dees if you wanted to bein his gang you barracked for dees

[dee-luded 2,959]

Bloody technology!!!!

Before the meltdown, I'd just asked people to give their stories as to how they came to be MFC supporters, and it was great reading to those of you who had already posted. Parents, friends, grandparents, location, rebellion all having been reasons.

Keep putting your stories up, and any other anecdotes of supporting passion. It's both fascinating AND good therapy, and a distraction from the frustration of Sunday's stinking debacle.

So keep them coming!

geez, the gremlins are everybloodywhhere

post repeat:

My dear old Dad & my sister were both Blue baggers.

My mum was, I've since found out, a passive MFC supporter.

My mums dad, my grandad was a very good cricketer I understand, & a MCC member I think, & a MFC supporter. It was a lot of fun everytime I went to visit Him & my Grandmother.

He would show lots of interest & care. Her gave me some used cricket score books & some MFC year books when I was very young.

It must have been his interest I guess, & the fact the Demons were on regular Saturday night TV replays.

Norm Smith & Barassi were talked about in glowing terms by the TV presenters, & Ron Barassi eventually had his own Footy show in the afternoons. At first in Melbourne Guernseys, & then in Blue.

it was around this time that the ship had sailed past the MFC, Tennis Australia, & soon, the MCC shield players, & teams.

.. from then on, its been sailing into a stiff breeze, all the way through seasons.

[westerndemon_daz 21]

Growing up in Adelaide I supported Norwood football club and my VFL team was Fitzroy along with my dad.

Dad converted to the Eagles when they came in being Western Australian so I followed until I really couldn't find passion for them ie collecting posters, cards etc etc, I stayed Fitzroy until the end and was at their final game at Subiaco.

So season 1997 came around and I thought I don't have a team, I could support Brisbane but it didn't sit well with me, I could have followed the Eagles but Neil Balme being coach at Melbourne having won 2 premierships at Norwood sealed the deal for me.

As well as the same colours,song I declared that day Melbourneis my team.

I am now a 12 year member and love this club ... And that's all I was ever looking for

[jane02 3,741]

All of my family as far back as I can remember were Melbourne supporters. My great uncle Charlie Barnes played with the Dees for a couple of years in the late 1920's. I cannot imagine barracking for anyone else.

Unfortunately the Demons gene has slowly filtered down to my mum and I being the only Demons fans left in our family.

[DeeGee 177]

My dad is a demon

My grandfather was a demon

My great grandfather was a demon

I became a rusted on demon in the late 80s

Now my 2 daughters are indoctrinated too.

No idea why my great grandfather supported them though.

[bush demon 2,034]

Parents one day brought some Ron Barassi boots to me at my primary school. These boots are padded to protect the ankle bone, and have 'Ron Barassii' signed on them. Wow, i wore them everywhere, even through the lino corridors. Around this time i also got a melbourne jumper (pictured). When television came to the bush in the early 60's ronnie was all over it and melbourne were the reigining power, so it was an easy choice. We took off for overseas at the end of '64 and by the time we returned to oz the dream had evaporated and melbourne was now a useless team with a huge turnover of new players. melbourne in 1966 couldn't kick a goal. there were a host of new names like rattray, vearing, dowsing, leary and jungwirth. in '66 and '67 it was speculated (mostly by lou on world of sport) that melbourne would soon rise up the ladder again. his prophecy seemed to be coming true as our bad start to '66 turned into a promising '67 where we would win very close games against good teams, or lose very close games against good teams. alas this fell apart and we dropped down again with norm smith having to resign through ill health. ian ridley came in as coach in 1971 and there was a definite buzz around the club and we kicked cricket scores first half of the season and rose to the top of the ladder. got mauled mid-season by a rampant collingwood with len thompson dominating. from there we fell apart. some excitement with the ray biffen, greg parke, ross dillon teams but all beer and no breakfast. 1976 we had a fantastic finish, even beating collingwood last game. (my first visit to victoria park, and the first time we had beaten collwd for over ten years). Alas it all fell apart. big carl came in late 70's and led from the front with some inspiring play. 1981 was the return of the messiah only he didn't have the foreign legion of players he had enjoyed at north and his style of coaching was no longer effective. enter john northey mid '80's and out of the blue in 1987 he had the demons winning everything. a truly fairytale year and the best first two finals you could ever wish to see. the 1987-91 era promised much with us winning more and mmore home and away games each year but each year we had telling fade outs which gave us poor finals positions so we were usually burnt out. the last piece of true magic was the david schwartz era (1994) and the jeff farmer era (2000) when we played with a thrilling brand of football. in this century we have slowly fizzzled out to the point where i accept there really is no hope against the teams which have amassed supporters, money, fixturing, ground advantages and sponsorship advantages. sorry i !got a bit off topic here!

[Return to Glory 8,411]

I applied to Opus Dei as the self flagellation had me quite interested but a Rhodes Scholar by the name of Tony got the last spot. A priest suggested that following the Dees was just as effective an option. So I did and haven't looked back.

[JImbo 7]

Hey guys. I'm James, I'm 18 and this is my very first season as a Melbourne Demons supporter. My story on how I arrived here is sorta long but bear with me.

I'm from country Victoria and was born son to an absolutely footy mad Collingwood supporter. He's won countless league best and fairest's down here, played a couple of games for Fitzroy, was asked to umpire VFL after a short, but raved about umpiring stint in the local leagues. I used to hear at my local footy club how they missed having umpires like him. He is a very respected member of the local footy community in short. I also am a member of a MASSIVE footy mad family who every single male member of was or is a great player. They've all won individual awards and carried their teams etc. All except for me anyway. I never really had the talent that my siblings and other family members had and as such my Dad didn't really show me the attention my brothers and sister got. So at about the age of around 14 in some kind of unintentional act of rebellion I lost interest in the AFL and donated my Collingwood gear to the local OP-Shop and started to follow Soccer. I am a massive Melbourne Heart fan and male the six hour round trip to Melbourne for every single home game. I also support QPR in the EPL and stay up till the wee hours of the morning to watch them play. I didn't make the switch to playing Soccer until I was 17 however because all my mates still played footy and I loved mucking about with them.

I've always kept tabs on the AFL though. Warching last seasons Grand Final and having nothing to follow sport wise in the winter made me want to get back into the AFL. My problem was which team was I going to follow? I ruled out 9 teams straight off the bat, every team that wasn't based in Melbourne because I absolutely love and feel connected to the city and wanted someone I could attend fairly easily and regularly. I also ruled out Collingwood because I still resent my father in a sporting sense. I settled on Melbourne for a number of reasons:

- They're called simply "Melbourne", the thought of the team representing the whole city is very appealing to me as I love the city but am not from or attached to any specific area of it.

- They're based at AAMI Park, the home of my beloved Heart.

- They play home games at the iconic MCG which I love just looking at, let alone going to watch a team you're emotionally invested in.

- The local club I played for were know as "The Demons" and wore the same red and blue strip as Melbourne, so just looking at the jumpers bring back great memories.

- They're essentially bottomed out so I sorta feel like I'm following something from the beginning and will be able to watch it grow and not feel like I'm jumping on a bandwagon.

So yeah, that's my story. I hope I haven't made the wrong decision! But there's no going back now!

[Muvver Jones 64]

Grew up at the top end of Powlett St. Could see the MCG sitting on our front fence. Every Saturday I'd watch thousands of fans walk by with their floggers etc before and after the game. Later When I was about 10 I would go the MCG at 3 quarter time when it was free to enter and watch the last quarters. Then it was only Melbourne's and Richmond's home ground. Never cared for the Tigers though. Only seemed natural to follow Melbourne.

[Sir Why You Little 36,954]

First Melbourne game my Dad took me to was Round 1 1971. We won by about 120 points. Still remember it.

The Red & Blue at the 'G.

I will die with the scarf on.

[Trisul 664]

My father was a Demons supporter. My grandmother was a Hawks supporter.

It was a close call for a young kid - Irish grandmothers are not to be trifled with (Mrs Brown's Boys is rather appropriate),

Somewhere around that time Leigh Matthews king hit someone behind play. I told my grandmother that her captain was a thug and that I'd be supporting the Demons.

Don't think she ever quite forgave me for that. Hopefully before I hit 50 I'll be able to forgive myself.

[Guest]

I was originally a Magpie but my Dad made the mistake of taking me to finals at the end of the 90's. Who did the Pies run into during that time? Being 8 at the time, I was unaware that Melbourne had been a traditionally weak team so I jumped on board based on those finals wins.

[bush demon 2,034]

First Melbourne game my Dad took me to was Round 1 1971. We won by about 120 points. Still remember it.

The Red & Blue at the 'G.

I will die with the scarf on.

Hey was that v North at Arden St? My first trek out there and we were up 7 goals to nil before we got into the ground.

[demoniac 1,330]

My parents are Queenslanders. Dad moved to England to further his studies in 1949. Mum followed in 1952 and they were married in London. In 1960 they returned to Australia and settled in Camberwell. In the mid 60s my older brother started his schooling at St Dom's in Camberwell. One of the first questions his new classmates asked was what team he supported. My brother asked Dad that night and he said we supported the Wallabies. When my brother told his classmates this he was told there was no team called the Wallabies and sadly he became a Hawthorn supporter. At this point my brother had 3 older sisters and 3 younger sisters and was yet to be blessed by the arrival of a dashing and shurely more discerning younger brother Mum told Sister Nm 3 to pick a team so someone else in the family had an interest in footy. Being a good older sister she deliberately chose a team below the Hawks on the Ladder so her team would not beat her younger brother's team. She chose Melbourne. Sisters Nm 1 & 2 moved out of home when I was about 3 or 4 so Sister Nm 3 babysat me quite often and was in charge of proceedings when Mum and Dad were out. And thus by the mid 70s I was a diehard Dees fan and a Squadron Member. I started at St Dom's in 1976. There were 2 Dees fans in my year. I went on to St Kevin's where there was one fellow Dees fan in my year and Joe and I have been going to see the Dees play together for the last 20 plus years.

A few years ago I demanded of Sister Nm 3 that she take out a membership which she did!

Names have not been used to protect the Guilty!

And yes going to the 88 Granny with my brother was a particularly pleasurable experience.